slug: "hymns/athena"
lang: en
title: "Orphic Hymn to Athena"
pageCreated: "2026-04-27"
extends ../../../views/hymns/hymnsheet.pug
block navbar
ul
li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-left: a(href="/hymns/hymnos-coureton") #[span.dingbat ☙] #[b(lang="grc") Υμνος Κουρητων] #[i Hymn to the Couretes]
li.nav-current ΛΒʹ · XXXII
li.nav-arrow.nav-arrow-right: a(href="/hymns/nike") #[i To Nike] #[b(lang="grc") Νικης] #[span.dingbat ❧]
block ancient-pic
img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/athena-ancient.jpg" alt="Ancient fresco of Athena")
block modern-pic
img(src="/hymns/thumbnails/athena-modern.jpg" alt="Modern painting of Athena")
block greek
h1 Ἀθηνᾶς
div.offering Θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
p.hymn-greek
:format-hymn
Παλλὰς μουνογενές, μεγάλου Διὸς ἔκγονε σεμνή,
δῖα, μάκαιρα Θεά, πολεμοκλόνος, ὀβριμόθυμε,
ἄρρητη, ῥητή, μεγαλώνυμος, ἀντροδίαιτε·
ἣ κατέχεις ὄχθων ὑψηχεας ἀκρωρείας
ἠδ’ ὄρεα σκιόεντα, νάπῃσί τε σὴν φρένα τέρπεις,
ὁπλοχαρής, οἰστροῦσα βροτῶν ψυχὰς μανίῃσι,
γυμνάζουσα κόρη, φρικώδη θυμὸν ἔχουσα,
Γοργοφόνος, φυγόλεκτρε, τεχνῶν μῆτερ πολύολβε.
ὁρμήτειρα, φίλοιστρε κακοῖς, ἀγαθοῖς δὲ φρόνησις·
ἄρσην μὲν καὶ θῆλυς ἔφυς, πολεμήτοκε μῆτι.
αἰολόμορφε, δράκαινα, φιλένθεος, ἀγλαότιμε·
Φλεγραίων ὀλέτειρα Γιγάντων, ἱππελάτειρα.
Τριτογένεια, λύτειρα κακῶν, νικηφόρε Δαῖμον,
γλαυκώφ’, εὑρεσίτεχνε, πολυλλίστη βασίλεια
ἤματα καὶ νύκτας αἰεὶ νεάτῃσιν ἐν ὥραις,
κλῦθί μευ εὐχομένου, δὸς δ’ εἰρήνην πολύολβον
καὶ κόρην ἠδ’ ὑγίειαν ἐπ’ εὐόλβοισιν ἐν ὥραις.
block english
h1 To Athena
div.offering The fumigation from aromatics
p.hymn-english Only-begotten, noble race of Jove,#[br]blessed and fierce, who joy’st in caves to rove:#[+sn(1)]#[br]O, warlike Pallas, whose illustrious kind,#[br]ineffable and effable we find:#[br]magnanimous and fam’d, the rocky height,#[br]and groves, and shady mountains Thee delight:#[br]in arms rejoicing, who with Furies dire#[br]and wild, the souls of mortals dost inspire.#[br]Gymnastic virgin of terrific mind,#[br]dire Gorgons’ bane, unmarried, blessed, kind:#[br]mother of arts, imperious; understood,#[br]rage to the wicked., wisdom to the good:#[br]female and male, the arts of war are Thine,#[br]fanatic, much-form’d dragoness#[+sn(2)], divine:#[br]o’er the Phlegrean giants rous’d to ire,#[+sn(3)]#[br]thy coursers driving, with destruction dire.#[br]Sprung from the head of #[span.theonym(greek="Zeus") Jove], of splendid mien,#[br]purger of evils, all-victorious queen.#[br]Hear me, O Goddess, when to Thee i pray,#[br]with supplicating voice both night and day,#[br]and in my latest hour, peace and health,#[br]propitious times, and necessary wealth,#[br]and, ever present, be Thy vot’ries aid,#[br]O, much implor’d, art’s parent, blue eyed maid.
+sn(1)
p Proclus in #[abbr.cite(title="Theology of Plato, page 372") Plat. Theol. p. 372] informs us, that there are three zoögonic or vivific monads, #[span.theonym(greek="Artemis") Diana], #[span.theonym(greek="Persephone") Proserpine], and #[span.theonym(greek="Athena") Minerva]; and that these three divinities exist together. Hence the reason is obvious why this Goddess is celebrated as living in caves, and delighting in rocks and mountains, from Her agreement with #[span.theonym(greek="Artemis") Diana]: and hence it appears, that Rutikenius [#[i Ruhnkenius? –Ed.]] was mistaken in imagining these epithets were misplaced. We may likewise see the reason from hence, why #[span.theonym(greek="Athena") Minerva] is called, in line 14, Female and Male, as well as #[span.theonym(greek="Selene") the Moon]; and why the Moon is called in #[a(href="/hymns/selene") the Hymn to Her] #[i(lang="grc") πάνσοφε κόρη], #[i i.e.] “all-wife virgin”.
+sn(2)
p It is easy to perceive the agreement between Minerva, who is the same with divine Wisdom and #[span.theonym(greek="Athena") Minerva], and a Dragon; since according to Phur­nu­tus, a dragon is of a vigilant and guardian nature.
+sn(3)
p The fable of the giants is common; but its philosophical explanation is, i fear, but little known and less understood. For the sake of thc liberal, therefore, the following account of the battles of the Gods, p. 158 from the excellent Commentary of Proclus, on Plato’s #[i Republic], p. 373, is inserted.
blockquote
p “The divisible progressions of all beings, and the diversities of substances, receive a supernal origin, from a division of unknown primitive causes, which are mutually at strife with principles, subject to the universe. For some determine their essence about unity, on which they depend; and others receive in themselves a never-failing power of infinity, by which they generate universals, and a cause of multitude and progression, according to which they possess their peculiar essences. Hence, after the same manner as the first principles of beings, are mutually separated from each other; so all divine genera and true beings have among themselves a progression distinguished by order.
p “In consequence of this, some insert in things posterior the principle cause of unity; but others afford the power of separation. Some are the causes of conversion to inferiors, and of collecting the multitude of progressive natures to their proper principles: while others promote their progression and procreation, emanating from principles, as their source. Some supply the power of generating to inferiors; and others exhibit a constant and undefiled purity. There are some, again, containing the cause of separable goods; and others, of such goods as subsist together with their recipients.
p “Indeed, after this manner, the various contrariety of such kinds appears in all the administrations of true being. Thus the station or quiet of things constantly establishing being in themselves, resists efficacious and vital powers of motion. So the communication of identity, on every side similar to itself (if the expression may be allowed) is specially opposed to the discretions of diversity. Thus, too, similitude fights with dissimilitude, and equality with inequality.
p “Since this is the case, can it be wonderful, that mythologists, perceiving a contrariety of this kind among the Gods, and the first principles of things, should represent it to their pupils by contentions and wars? For though the divine genera are always united with each other, yet They preside as well over those who administer to union, as over those who machinate confusion. And this is the first reason of the wars of the Gods. But it is lawful to produce another reason, and to affirm that the Gods are indeed indivisibly conjoined, and subsist together in mutual uniformity: but that Their progressions into the universe, and participations by recipient natures, become disjoined and divisible, and by this means filled with contrariety.
p “For things subject to the power of the Gods, cannot receive their diffused powers, and multiform illustrations, without mixture and confusion. Hence the last orders dependent on the Gods, since they are produced by a long interval from the first causes, but are contiguous to the concerns they administer, and adhere to matter, contract contrariety, and an all-various division; partially presiding over material affairs, and diminishing and dispersing those separate powers, which before subsisted in a superior manner, uniformly and indivisibly, in their primitive causes.
p “Since, then, such and so many are the ways, by which, according to the mysteries of theologists, war is usually referred to the Gods; other poets who, seized with fury, have interpreted divine concerns, introduced the battles and wars of the Gods, according to the first reasons, #[i i.e.] so far as the divine genera admit of diversity, according to the first principles of all things. For fables, concealing truth under a veil, show that such things as recall to principles, oppose and fight with the authors of generation: collecting with separating natures, things unifying with such as multiply by the progression of beings; and universal genera, with such as operate in a partial and particular manner.
p “Hence they relate, that the Titans (or dæmons subservient to Nature) fight with #[span.theonym(greek="Dionysos") Bacchus], (or Nature) and the giants with #[span.theonym(greek="Zeus") Jove]. For union, and an indivisible work, is proper to #[span.theonym(greek="Dionysos") Bacchus] and #[span.theonym(greek="Zeus") Jupiter], as the demiurgic causes of the world; but the Titans and Giants produce the demiurgic powers into multitude; partially administering the concerns of the universe, and existing as the proximate parents of material natures.”
p Thus far Proclus. For a farther account of #[span.theonym(greek="Athena") Minerva], see the note to #[a(href="/hymns/physis") Hymn #[+sc("X")] to Nature].